Fort George National Historic Site of Canada

The war of 1812

1815 - The War Ends

Chart

British (Canadian/Native) victories are indicated in Bold typeface. Smaller actions (raids/skirmishes) are indicated in italics.

Month

Lakes Huron and Erie

Lake Ontario

Lake Champlain

East Coast Atlantic Navy

January

15 U.S.S. President captured by British squadron near New York.

February

20 U.S.S. Constitution captures H.M.S. Cyane and Levant near Madeira

March

23 U.S.Sloop Hornet captures H.M. Sloop Penguin near Tristan de Cunha

Biography of Richard Pierpoint (also known as Parepoint, Pawpine, Pierpont)

Richard Pierpoint was born in Bondu (present day Senegal) in approximately 1744. He was enslaved at age 16 and shipped to the American colonies where he was purchased by a British officer. Little is known of him from that point until he enlisted as a Loyalist soldier during the American Revolution when he joined Butler's Rangers. As a member of Butler's Rangers he was stationed at Niagara (Fort Niagara) in 1780 and when the regiment was disbanded in 1784 he was listed as an intended settler in that area. Pierpoint was also listed as being within the first 10 Loyalists to settle in Niagara. His claim of being formally recognised as a United Empire Loyalist was revoked by Lieutenant Governor Peter Hunter.

In 1788, Pierpoint was given a plot of 200 acres of land on Twelve Mile Creek (Grantham Township) but obviously integration amongst white settlers was very difficult. By 1794, Pierpoint was among 19 freed blacks that petitioned Lieutenant Governor Simcoe to form a separate black community as the random land grants, although fair, did not allow blacks to support each other as a community, and land clearing , home building and farming was an onerous task for an individual. The petition was denied and blacks continued to be integrated with white settlers. In 1806 Pierpoint sold his plots of land and worked as a labourer until the outbreak of war in 1812.

In 1812 (at age 68) Pierpoint suggested raising a Militia Regiment of coloured men. The government established a black regiment under white command instead. Pierpoint enlisted in the small Niagara corps known as Runchey's Coloured Corps, (Which saw service from 1812-1815, fighting in the Battle of Queenston Heights, the Battle of Fort George, Stoney Creek and returning with Vincent's Army in December of 1813. Re-designated as artificers, (labourers) they worked on the construction of Fort Mississauga and garrisoned Fort George until the end of the war). Following the war Pierpoint returned to labouring in the Grantham area, (Dick's Creek in St. Catharines is named after him.) until age 77 when he petitioned the government for financial aid to return to his homeland in Africa. The request was denied and Pierpoint was offered 100 acres of farmland in unsettled Garafraxa Township on the Grand River (Near Fergus, Ontario). Richard Pierpoint died in late 1837 or early 1838 having never married or had children.